Basics of RFID Technology

Sridhar Ponugupati Blaze Automation 18 June 2010

Q.E.D. Systems Craig K. Harmon President

Visit our web sites: http://www.qed.org and http://www.autoid.org

http://www.autoid.org/presentations/F-ISCW_2003_RFID_Basics.zip

Chair, ASC INCITS T6 (Radio Frequency Identification) - ANS INCITS 256:1999, 2001 Chair, U.S. TAG to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31/WG 4 RFID Chair, ASC MH 10/SC 8/WG 4, RFID for Returnable Containers Chair, ISO TC 122/WG 4 (Shipping Labels) & ISO TC 122/WG 7 (Product Packaging) Chair, ISO TC 122/104 JWG - Supply Chain Applications of RFID Senior Project Editor ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31/WG 4/SG 3 (RFID - Air Interface) JTC 1/SC 31 Liaison Officer to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R) JTC 1/SC 31 Liaison Officer to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) JTC 1/SC 31 Liaison to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) ASC MH 10/SC 8 Liaison Universal Postal Union (UPU) Physical Encoding Group (PEG) Expert to USPS Strategic Technology Council ISO TC 104 (Freight Containers / RFID) Liaison Officer to JTC 1/SC 31 Project Editor, ISO 18185 (Freight Containers - Electronic Container Seals) Chairman & Project Editor, ANS MH10.8.2 (Data Application Identifiers) Vocabulary Rapporteur to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 Project Editor, American Trucking Association (ATA) ADE Work Group AIAG Bar Code, Applications, 2D, Tire, Returnables, and RFID Committees Project Editor, EIA Shipping Label, Product, Product Package, & Component Marking Advisor, U.S. Department of Defense in Migration to Commercial Standards Project Editor, NATO STANAG 2233 (RFID for NATO Asset Tracking) Project Editor Designate (Japan) - ISO/IEC 15459-3 (Unique Identification of Items) Project Editor Designate (Japan) - Technical Report on Direct Part Marking Convenor (CKH) and Secretary (MAH) - INCITS T20 (Real Time Locating Systems) Convenor Designate (MAH) - SC 31/WG 5 (Real Time Locating Systems)

Session Description
It is unlikely that any technology in the automatic identification and data capture industry has been hyped more than RFID. So what is the truth? What technologies are best suited for which technologies? What is the relationship between regulations in the United States and in other parts of the world? What is the future of that regulation? How to determine which technology is best for you by asking yourself three little questions: "How far?", "How fast?, and "How many?" Learn the answers to these and other questions in this session.

What is RFID?
RFID is an ADC technology that uses radio-frequency waves to transfer data between a reader and a movable item to identify, categorize, track... RFID is fast, reliable, and does not require physical sight or contact between reader/scanner and the tagged item

What Constitutes an RFID System?

One or more RF tags Two or more antennas

One or more interrogators

One or more host computers Appropriate software

RFID System Components

(block diagram)

Antenna Asset/Tag Asset

Reader

Firmware Tag
Insert

TCP/IP

Host
Customers MIS Application Software

~
Power

API

APPLICATION

INTERROGATOR
Decoder

RF TAG
Tag Physical Memory

AIR Application Program Interface

Encoder DEVICE COMMANDS APPLICATION COMMANDS APPLICATION RESPONSES DEVICE RESPONSES Logical Memory Command / Response Unit Tag Driver and Mapping Rules

INTERFACE
COMMANDS

Logical Memory Map

RESPONSES

DATA PROTOCOL PROCESSOR

PHYSICAL INTERROGATOR

Note: The Logical Memory Map in the Tag Physical Memory is given by the Tag architecture and the mapping rules in the Tag Driver. All the information in the Logical Memory is represented in the Logical Memory Map

ISO/IEC 15961

ISO/IEC 15962

ISO/IEC 15962 Annexes

ISO/IEC 18000

RFID Operation
Sequence of Communication
Host Manages Reader(s) and Issues Commands Reader and tag communicate via RF signal Carrier signal generated by the reader (upon request from the host application) Carrier signal sent out through the antennas Carrier signal hits tag(s) Tag receives and modifies carrier signal
sends back modulated signal (Passive Backscatter - FCC and ITU refer to as field disturbance device)

Antennas receive the modulated signal and send them to the Reader Reader decodes the data
Results returned to the host application

RFID Operations

What is RFID? -- The Tags

Tags can be read-only or read-write Tag memory can be factory or field programmed, partitionable, and optionally permanently locked Bytes left unlocked can be rewritten over more than 100,000 times

RFID System Basics

Read Only (Factory Programmed) Programmable WORM - Write Once, Database Pointer Read Many times Mission Critical Reprogrammable Information (Field Programmable) Portable Database Read/Write (In-Use Programmable) Tag ID Only

What is RFID? -- The Tags

Tags can be attached to almost anything:
pallets or cases of product vehicles company assets or personnel items such as apparel, luggage, laundry people, livestock, or pets high value electronics such as computers, TVs, camcorders

Are All Tags The Same?

Basic Types: Active Tag transmits radio signal Battery powered memory, radio & circuitry High Read Range (300 feet) Passive Tag reflects radio signal from reader Reader powered Shorter Read Range (4 inches - 15 feet)

Are All Tags The Same?

Variations:
Memory Size (16 bits - 512 kBytes +) Read-Only, Read/Write or WORM Type: EEProm, Antifuse, FeRam Arbitration (Anti-collision) Ability to read/write one or many tags at a time Frequency 125KHz - 5.8 GHz Physical Dimensions Thumbnail to Brick sizes Price ($0.50 to $250)

RFID System Basics

How far?
How fast? How many? How much? Attached to and surround by what?

What is RFID? -- The Readers

Readers (interrogators) can be at a fixed point such as
Entrance/exit Point of sale Warehouse

Readers can also be mobile -- tethered, hand-held, or wireless

<150 kHz (125 kHz & 134 kHz )

Advantages Uses normal CMOS processing basic and ubiquitous Relative freedom from regulatory limitations Well suited for applications requiring reading small amounts of data at slow speeds and minimal distances Penetrates materials well (water, tissue, wood, aluminum)

<150 kHz (125 kHz & 134 kHz )

Disadvantages: Does not penetrate or transmit around metals (iron, steel) Handles only small amounts of data Slow read speeds Large Antennas -- compared to higher frequencies Minimal Range

<150 kHz (125 kHz & 134 kHz )

Disadvantages: Tag construction:

is thicker (than 13.56 MHz) is more expensive (than 13.56 MHz) more complex (requires more turns of the induction coil)

13.56 MHz
Advantages Uses normal CMOS processing--basic and ubiquitous Well suited for applications requiring reading small amounts of data and minimal distances Penetrates water/tissue well Simpler antenna design (fewer turns of the coil); lower costs to build Higher data rate (than 125 kHz--but slower than higher MHz systems) Thinner tag construction (than 125 kHz) Popular Smart Card frequency

13.56 MHz
Disadvantages Government regulated frequency (U.S. and Europe recently harmonized) Does not penetrate or transmit around metals Large Antennas (compared to higher frequencies) Larger tag size than higher frequencies Tag construction: requires more than one surface to complete a circuit Reading Range of 0.7 m

RFID PrimerFrequencies
RFID:
Toll Roads

Data Terminal

Electromagnetic Field Coupling: Lower Range UHF Cell Phone >300 MHz <3 (<1) GHz
(862-928 MHz ANSI MH10.8.4, ISO 18185, B-11 & GTAG) (433.92 MHz ISO 18185)

1000 MHz

>300 MHz <1GHz

Advantages Effective around metals Best available frequency for distances of >1m Tag size smaller than 13.56 MHz Smaller antennas Range: licensed to 20-40' with reasonable sized tag (stamp to eraser size). Unlicensed 3-5 m. Good non-line-of-sight communication (except for conductive, "lossy" materials) High data rate; Large amounts of data Controlled read zone (through antenna directionality)

>300 MHz <1GHz

Disadvantages Does not penetrate water/tissue Regulatory issues (differences in frequency, channels, power, and duty cycle) Regulatory issues in Europe (similar band 869 MHz requires frequency agile chip) 950 - 956 MHz under study in Japan

RFID PrimerFrequencies
RFID: Item Management EAS

Electromagnetic Field Coupling: 2.45 GHz

2.45 GHz

2.45 GHz
Advantages
Tag size smaller than inductive or lower range UHF (1"x 1/4") Range: greater range than inductive w/o battery More bandwidth than lower range UHF (more frequencies to hop) Smaller antennas than lower range UHF or inductive High data rate

2.45 GHz
Advantages Good non-line-of-sight communication (except for conductive, "lossy" materials) Can transmit large amounts of data more quickly than lower frequencies Controlled read zone (through antenna directionality) Effective around metals with tuning/design adaptations

2.45 GHz
Disadvantages More susceptible to electronic noise than lower UHF bands, e.g. 433 MHz, 860-930 MHz Shared spectrum with other technologies-microwave ovens, RLANS, TV devices, etc. Requires non-interfering, "good neighbor" tactics like FHSS Competitive requirement: single chip--highly technical; limited number of vendors Regulatory approvals still "in process"

RFID PrimerFrequency
RFID: European Tolls

>5.8 GHz (European Road Telematics Frequency)

Advantages: Less congested band/less interference Disadvantages: Not available in U.S. or many other countries (5.9 now in FCC review) Must orient antennas carefully Range limited (due to scaling issues/wavelengths) Chip difficult to build Expensive

300 GHz

Spectrum Regulation
The radio frequency (RF) spectrum is a scarce and shared resource, used nationally and internationally, and subject to a wide range of regulatory oversight. In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission is a key regulatory body that allocates spectrum use and resolves spectrum conflicts. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which plays the same role internationally.

Regulations - ITU

Regulatory Differences
Usage of channel
Primary service Secondary service
Cannot interfere with primary service Cannot claim protection of interference from primary service Can claim protection of interference from other secondary users

Industrial, Scientific, & Medical (ISM) Bands

Narrowband or Spread Spectrum Power level Duty cycle

How far, how fast, how much, how many, attached to what?

Fr eque ncy 125-150 kHz 13.56 MHz 433 MHz

Regulation Basically unregulated ISM band, dif fering power levels and duty cycle Non-specif ic Short Range Devices (SRD), Location Systems ISM band (Region 2); increasing use in other regions, dif fering pow er levels and duty cycle ISM band, dif fering power levels and duty cycle

Range 10 cm < 1m 1 100 m

Data Spe ed Low Low to moderate Moderate

Com m ents Animal identif ication and factory data collection systems Popular frequency for I.C. Cards (Smart Cards) Asset tracking for U.S. DoD (Pallets) EAN.UCC GTAG, MH10.8.4 (RTI), AIAG B-11 (Tires) IEEE 802.11b, Bluetooth, CT, AIAG B-11

860-930 MHz

25m

Moderate to high

2450 MHz

12m

High

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Applications

Portal Applications

Bill of Lading Material Tracking

Portal Applications

Limited number items at forklift speeds 8 X 10 doorways Electronic receipt & dispatch Wrong destination alert Electronic marking Pallet/container item tracking

Conveyor / Assembly Line

Read / Write Operations Higher Accuracy than Bar Code

Conveyor / Assembly Line

Up to 450 fpm 60+ items per container Inexpensive tunnels Longer tunnel more items Electronic receipt Sorting Electronic marking

Hand Held Application Categories

Batch

Wireless

Fixed Station

Application Examples

Wireless / Batch Inventory Management Where is it? What is it? What is inside the box?

Material Handling By Destination Where is it going? Where has it been? Should it be here?

Material Handling Aggregate / De-aggregate What have I assembled or disassembled? How many do I have? Do I have enough?

Material Handling Inspecting / Maintaining Has this been repaired? Is this under warrantee? Has this been inspected? Is this complete? What is the assets status or state?

Shipping Validation

Intelligent Labels

The HazMat Label

HazMat Smart Label

Low power > long range 1024 bit memory Read/write/lock on 8 bits Advanced protocol Efficient multi-id 12 ms/8 byte read Group select 40 tags/second

Lock data permanently 25ms/byte write Broadcast write Anti-collision

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Standards

The Layers of Logistic Units (Optically Readable Media)

Layer 5
ISO TC 204 (None) AIAG B-15

Movement Vehicle (truck, airplane, ship, train)

Container (e.g., 40 foot Sea Container)

Layer 4
ISO TC 104 (None)

Layer 3
ISO TC 122/WG 4 (15394) ANSI MH10.8.1 AIAG B-10/14 EIA 556-B UCC 6

Unit Load Pallet

Unit Load Pallet

Layer 2
ISO TC 122/WG 4 (15394) ANSI MH10.8.1 AIAG B-10/14 EIA 556-B UCC 6/EAN Genl Spec

Transport Unit

Transport Unit

Transport Unit

Transport Unit

Layer 1
ISO TC 122/WG 7 (22742) ANSI MH10.8.6 AIAG B-4 (TBD) EIA 621/624 & IEC TC 91 UCC 1 /EAN Genl Spec Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg

Layer 0
ISO TC 122 (TBD) ANSI MH10.8.7 AIAG B-4 EIA SP-3497 UCC 1 /EAN Genl Spec
Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item

The Layers of Logistic Units (Radio Frequency Identification - RFID)

Layer 5
ISO TC 104 ISO TC 204 (ISO 14816) IATA ISO TC 8 AAR

Movement Vehicle (truck, airplane, ship, train)

Container (e.g., 40 foot Sea Container)

Layer 4 (433 MHz, 860-930 MHz)

ISO 122/104 JWG (ISO 10374) ISO TC 104 (ISO 18185) ISO TC 104 (Beyond 18185) ISO 17363 (122/104 JWG)

Layer 3 (433 MHz, 860-930 MHz)

ISO 17364 (122/104 JWG) ANSI MH10.8.4 AIAG (TBD) EIA (TBD) EAN.UCC GTAG

Unit Load Pallet

Unit Load Pallet

Layer 2 (860-930 MHz)

ISO 17365 (122/104 JWG) ANSI MH10.8.8 AIAG (TBD) TCIF (TBD)

Transport Unit

Transport Unit

Transport Unit

Transport Unit

Layer 1 (860-930 MHz)

ISO 17366 (122/104 JWG) Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg Pkg

Layer 0 (860-930 MHz)

ISO 17367 (122/104 JWG) AIAG B-11
Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item Item

Application Requirements
Q.E.D. Systems 2003

Wal-Mart - Suppliers will mark inbound cases and pallets with RFID - 1 January 2005 - May, 2003 specification calls for 256 bit read/write tag U.S. Department of Defense - Draft RFID policy to be completed by 18 September 2003 - To issue final policy in July of 2004 that will require suppliers to put passive RFID tags on selected case/pallet packaging by January of 2005. Draft policy calls for passive tags (est. 256 byte) and active tags

Lads, Dads, & Granddads

???

Thank You!